Kristi Murray Costello

Kristi Murray Costello is an Associate Professor of Rhetoric, Composition, and Writing Studies at Old Dominion University’s College of Arts & Letters. She serves as Associate Chair of Writing Studies and General Education, and leads Virginia WPA’s regional affiliate Writing Across Virginia. Her work focuses on emotional labor in writing program administration and interdisciplinary pedagogy, including co-teaching courses on Hamilton and race rhetorics.

• PhD in Rhetoric, Composition, and Creative Writing from Binghamton University
• Co-PI on National Science Foundation grant
• Editor of The Things We Carry (Utah State University Press, 2020)

Research spans writing centers, WAC/WID, feminist composition, and Long COVID rhetorics. Recent publications analyze emotional labor, STEM writing, and writing program evaluation. Awards include the CCCC Certificate of Writing Program Excellence and Arkansas’ College English Teacher of the Year. She also mentors graduate teaching assistants and contributes to writing placement initiatives.

• Grants: $300,000 NSF grant for "Writing to Read in STEM"
• Leadership: Four-Year College Chair of Writing Across Virginia